College and Scholarship Essays
So, you thought that just filling out the admission application was stressful and time consuming enough; but, now the college you're interested in wants you to submit an essay too?!
Before you freak out, remember: although yes, it will be more time-consuming than simply filling out a form, the college essay is a great opportunity for you to let the admissions committee get to know you better, as a student and as a person.
For colleges that do require an essay for admission, it is a very important part of your application! It can often mean the difference between acceptance and rejection, so be sure to take it seriously!!
Why Colleges Ask for the Essay(s)?
You may be wondering why some colleges as for personal statements and essays while others don't. You may be like I was and avoid any applications that require an essay (not a good idea). You may think writing your essay once and submitting it is okay (again, not a good idea). There are many reasons why colleges ask you to write essays, and they are all important.
The most important reason that a college would want an essay from you is to assess how well you express yourself in written form. Your ability to write well is critical for success in college. Many of your courses will require you to prepare papers, reports, or documents to support your coursework. If you have trouble expressing yourself in writing, you may be at a disadvantage in the college classroom. It is important to seek help if you find essay writing difficult.
Your writing is also a reflection of how you think. A student who writes clearly, succinctly and in an organized fashion usually thinks the same way.
Finally, the personal statement/essay provides you with the opportunity to present the YOU not revealed by your standard application. You're able to give a VOICE and a PERSONALITY to your application. Use that VOICE wisely!
How Do I Make the Most of this Opportunity?
Remember, the college essay is an opportunity, not a burden. Use your essay to make yourself stand out. There may be 500 applicants with a 3.8 GPA, 27 ACT, involved in StuCo, FFA, and choir (25 of those may even have your same name). The college essay can let you SHINE!
If done right, the college essay should be able to tell the admissions committee information about you that your test scores, grades, and extracurricular activities simply cannot. As one admissions officer described it, the college essay is "an interview in the candidate's absence." Keep that in mind as you begin writing.
Some Helpful Hints...
Answer the Question. You can write an amazing essay, but if you don't answer the question, you will not be admitted to any institution.
Be Original
Even seemingly boring topics can sound interesting if creatively approached. If writing about a gymnastics competition you trained for, do not start your essay: "I worked long hours for many weeks to train for X competition." Consider an opening like, "Every morning I awoke at 5:00 to sweat, cry, and bleed as I trained on the uneven bars hoping to bring the state gymnastics trophy to my hometown."
Be Yourself
Admissions officers want to learn about you and your writing ability. Write about something meaningful to you; do NOT just try to write what you think the admissions officer will want to read. Try to describe your feelings, not necessarily your actions. If you do this, your essay will be unique. Many people travel to foreign countries or win competitions, but your feelings during these events are unique to you. Unless a philosophy or societal problem has interested you intensely for years, stay away from grand themes that you have little personal experience with. Furthermore, stay true to who YOU are, not who you want to be or who your parents are.
Don't "Thesaurize" your Composition
Big words do NOT necessarily equal a good essay. Using big words is fine, but only if you do it in the appropriate manner. If you don't feel comfortable saying the word out loud, it probably doesn't belong in your essay.
Use Imagery and Clear, Vivid Prose
If you are not adept at imagery, you can write an excellent essay without it, but it's not easy. The application essay lends itself to imagery since the entire essay requires your experiences as supporting details. Appeal to the five senses of the admissions officers.
Spend the Most Time on your Introduction
Expect admissions officers to spend 1-2 minutes reading your essay. You must use your introduction to grab their interest from the beginning. You might even consider completely changing your introduction after writing your body paragraphs.
-Don't summarize in your introduction. Ask yourself why a reader would want to read your entire essay after reading your introduction. If you summarize, the admissions officer need not read the rest of your essay.
-Create Mystery or Intrigue in your Introduction. It is not necessary or recommended that your first sentence give away the subject matter. Raise questions in the minds of the admissions officers to force them to read on. Appeal to their emotions to make them relate to your subject matter.
Use Transitions
You must use transitions within and between paragraphs in order to ensure the logical flow of your essay. Transitions are not limited to phrases like "as a result, in addition, while..., since..., etc." but include repeating key words and progressing the idea.
Conclusions are Crucial
The conclusion is your last chance to persuade the reader or impress upon them your qualifications. In the conclusion, avoid summary since the essay is rather short to begin with; the reader should not need to be reminded of what you wrote 300 words before. Also, do not use stock phrases like "in conclusion, in summary, to conclude, etc." If possible, try to:
-Expand upon the broader implications of your discussion.
-Frame your discussion within a larger context or show that your topic has widespread appeal.
Do Something Else
Spend a week or so away from your draft to decide if you still consider your topic and approach worthwhile. You may also find new inspiration or a new perspective during this time.
Revise, Revise, REVISE! Obviously, you need to check your essay for spelling and grammatical errors; but revision is more than that. All good writers revise their work, and so should you. Especially when writing your college essay, keep in mind that you are only allowed so many words. Delete anything in the essay that does not relate to your main argument. While revising, keep in mind:
-Allow for the evolution of your main topic. Do not assume your subject must remain fixed and that you can only tweak sentences.
-Editing takes time. Consider reordering your supporting details, deleting irrelevant sections, and making clear the broader implications of your experiences. Allow your more important arguments to come to the foreground. Take points that might only be implicit and make them explicit.
Get a Second Opinion
Once you've revised your essay quite a bit and are happy with it, ask a few people who know you well to read over it. Have them check to see that it a) is memorable, and b) reflects you.
Revise Again
Give it one more lookover. Try reading it aloud to yourself to catch any awkward phrasing. Hey, it can't hurt, right?
And remember, I am always available to help you! Feel free to come see me, whether you need help editing your essay or just thinking of a topic!
Before you freak out, remember: although yes, it will be more time-consuming than simply filling out a form, the college essay is a great opportunity for you to let the admissions committee get to know you better, as a student and as a person.
For colleges that do require an essay for admission, it is a very important part of your application! It can often mean the difference between acceptance and rejection, so be sure to take it seriously!!
Why Colleges Ask for the Essay(s)?
You may be wondering why some colleges as for personal statements and essays while others don't. You may be like I was and avoid any applications that require an essay (not a good idea). You may think writing your essay once and submitting it is okay (again, not a good idea). There are many reasons why colleges ask you to write essays, and they are all important.
The most important reason that a college would want an essay from you is to assess how well you express yourself in written form. Your ability to write well is critical for success in college. Many of your courses will require you to prepare papers, reports, or documents to support your coursework. If you have trouble expressing yourself in writing, you may be at a disadvantage in the college classroom. It is important to seek help if you find essay writing difficult.
Your writing is also a reflection of how you think. A student who writes clearly, succinctly and in an organized fashion usually thinks the same way.
Finally, the personal statement/essay provides you with the opportunity to present the YOU not revealed by your standard application. You're able to give a VOICE and a PERSONALITY to your application. Use that VOICE wisely!
How Do I Make the Most of this Opportunity?
Remember, the college essay is an opportunity, not a burden. Use your essay to make yourself stand out. There may be 500 applicants with a 3.8 GPA, 27 ACT, involved in StuCo, FFA, and choir (25 of those may even have your same name). The college essay can let you SHINE!
If done right, the college essay should be able to tell the admissions committee information about you that your test scores, grades, and extracurricular activities simply cannot. As one admissions officer described it, the college essay is "an interview in the candidate's absence." Keep that in mind as you begin writing.
Some Helpful Hints...
Answer the Question. You can write an amazing essay, but if you don't answer the question, you will not be admitted to any institution.
Be Original
Even seemingly boring topics can sound interesting if creatively approached. If writing about a gymnastics competition you trained for, do not start your essay: "I worked long hours for many weeks to train for X competition." Consider an opening like, "Every morning I awoke at 5:00 to sweat, cry, and bleed as I trained on the uneven bars hoping to bring the state gymnastics trophy to my hometown."
Be Yourself
Admissions officers want to learn about you and your writing ability. Write about something meaningful to you; do NOT just try to write what you think the admissions officer will want to read. Try to describe your feelings, not necessarily your actions. If you do this, your essay will be unique. Many people travel to foreign countries or win competitions, but your feelings during these events are unique to you. Unless a philosophy or societal problem has interested you intensely for years, stay away from grand themes that you have little personal experience with. Furthermore, stay true to who YOU are, not who you want to be or who your parents are.
Don't "Thesaurize" your Composition
Big words do NOT necessarily equal a good essay. Using big words is fine, but only if you do it in the appropriate manner. If you don't feel comfortable saying the word out loud, it probably doesn't belong in your essay.
Use Imagery and Clear, Vivid Prose
If you are not adept at imagery, you can write an excellent essay without it, but it's not easy. The application essay lends itself to imagery since the entire essay requires your experiences as supporting details. Appeal to the five senses of the admissions officers.
Spend the Most Time on your Introduction
Expect admissions officers to spend 1-2 minutes reading your essay. You must use your introduction to grab their interest from the beginning. You might even consider completely changing your introduction after writing your body paragraphs.
-Don't summarize in your introduction. Ask yourself why a reader would want to read your entire essay after reading your introduction. If you summarize, the admissions officer need not read the rest of your essay.
-Create Mystery or Intrigue in your Introduction. It is not necessary or recommended that your first sentence give away the subject matter. Raise questions in the minds of the admissions officers to force them to read on. Appeal to their emotions to make them relate to your subject matter.
Use Transitions
You must use transitions within and between paragraphs in order to ensure the logical flow of your essay. Transitions are not limited to phrases like "as a result, in addition, while..., since..., etc." but include repeating key words and progressing the idea.
Conclusions are Crucial
The conclusion is your last chance to persuade the reader or impress upon them your qualifications. In the conclusion, avoid summary since the essay is rather short to begin with; the reader should not need to be reminded of what you wrote 300 words before. Also, do not use stock phrases like "in conclusion, in summary, to conclude, etc." If possible, try to:
-Expand upon the broader implications of your discussion.
-Frame your discussion within a larger context or show that your topic has widespread appeal.
Do Something Else
Spend a week or so away from your draft to decide if you still consider your topic and approach worthwhile. You may also find new inspiration or a new perspective during this time.
Revise, Revise, REVISE! Obviously, you need to check your essay for spelling and grammatical errors; but revision is more than that. All good writers revise their work, and so should you. Especially when writing your college essay, keep in mind that you are only allowed so many words. Delete anything in the essay that does not relate to your main argument. While revising, keep in mind:
-Allow for the evolution of your main topic. Do not assume your subject must remain fixed and that you can only tweak sentences.
-Editing takes time. Consider reordering your supporting details, deleting irrelevant sections, and making clear the broader implications of your experiences. Allow your more important arguments to come to the foreground. Take points that might only be implicit and make them explicit.
Get a Second Opinion
Once you've revised your essay quite a bit and are happy with it, ask a few people who know you well to read over it. Have them check to see that it a) is memorable, and b) reflects you.
Revise Again
Give it one more lookover. Try reading it aloud to yourself to catch any awkward phrasing. Hey, it can't hurt, right?
And remember, I am always available to help you! Feel free to come see me, whether you need help editing your essay or just thinking of a topic!